Washing-machine



(Mo deal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. WITTMAN.

WASHING MACHINE.

No. 359,195. Patented Mar. 8, 1887.

WITNESSES: IIVVEIVTO I? ATTORNEY s N PETR& Phcm'lilmgmphcr, Wahingmn, n c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

LEONARD VVITTMAN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,195, dated March 8, 1887.

Application filed May 15, 1886. Serial No. 202,294. (Modeh) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEONARD WITT AN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ashing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention has relation to washing-machines, and relates particularly to that class of washing-machines wherein are employed a revolving corrugated or ribbed drum or roller arranged in a compartment or tub having a semicircular bottom and ribbed or corrugated slats or rollers, or both slats and rollers, fixed in proximity to the semicircular bottom of the tub or receptacle and parallel with the longitudinal axis of the drum or roller.

My invention has for its object the provision of means for maintaining an equable pressure of the revolving drum or roller upon the clothes or fabric being washed, and has for its further object the provision of means for readily and easily elevating the drum or roller should the clothes or fabric become too tightly packed between the revolving drum and the rollers or slats in the tub or receptacle.

My invention consists in the provision of novel means for j ournaliug the revolving drum in the receptacle so as to permit of a certain amount of vertical movement of the same while preserving an equable or nearly equable pressure of the same on the material operated upon, as hereinafter claimed.

Myinvention further consists in the provision of novel means for raising the revolving drum and its bearings should the clothes or fabric become jammed or packed too tightly beneath said drum, as hereinafter claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of my improved washing-machine with a portion of one side broken away; Fig. 2, an end View of the same; Fig. 3, a top view, and Fig. 4 a detail View in perspective.

A A designate the sides of the receptacle in which the clothes to be washed are placed, and B the bottom of the same, which is semicircular in shape and properly secured to the sides A A, the whole being supported upon legs a a a a. Within this receptacle or tub and close to the bottom B arefixed a number of small corrugated or ribbed rollers, b b, which are'journaled in semicircular or areshaped plates B, fixed on the sides A A. A number of ribbed or corrugated slats, b b, are also fixed a slight distance from the bottom 13, and the said rollers and slats are arranged a short distance apart, so as to permit of free circulation of the washing-water.

The revolving roller or drum consists of two circular heads, 0 O, joined together by slats c c c, which are set a short distance apart and are corrugated or ribbed on their outer surfaces, as shown. To-the center of each of the heads 0 O is secured a boss or plate, 0, which holds a shaft, E, said shafts serving as the means for supporting the roller or drum and being journaled in suitable vertically-movable bearings, as will be presently described.

The sides A A of the receptacle are formed with vertical slots F F, through which pass the shafts E E, and outside of the receptacle are fixed metallic plates G G, formed with vertical slots corresponding with the slots F F and with dovetailed flanges g at their outer edges.

H H designate metallic plates having beveled edges which fit into the dovetailed flanges g of the plates G G and having holes for the passage of the shafts E E.

A spiral spring, J, is secured to the plate H on each side of the receptacle. and in front of each of the plates H is secured a plate, K, by means of bolts k is, one above and the other below the shaft E. 'Upon one side of the machine the shaft E carries a cog-wheel, L, that engages with a larger cog-wheel, L, whose shaft Z projects out through the outer plate, K, and has an attached crank, M, with a handle, m, at its end, the crank and the intermeshing cog-wheels serving as a means for imparting rotary motion to the drum or roller. A spiral spring, J, is also secured to the roll or drum bearing on this side, and the said spiral springs serve to draw the roller or drum down toward the rollers and slats in the receptacle, the plates H H sliding freely in the dovetail flanges g g in the plates G G.

A frame N having lever-armsm m is 31V- oted to the sides of the receptacle at n n, and

the ends of the lever-arms m m are formed with hooked ends 121 m", which hook under the upper bolts connecting the plates G G and H H. A lever, 0, having a handle, 0, is pivoted atp to the end of the receptacle and engages with a rack, Q, on one of the legs a, and the said lever is connected by a wire, cord, or chain with the pivoted frame N and provided with a retractile spring, B, so that upon depressing or elevating the handle 0 the bearings on each side of the receptacle will be correspondingly elevated or depressed, and the roller or drum thereby moved vertically and, when the lever O is engaged with the rack Q, held in such position. 7 7

Having fully described my invention, I claim- 1. In a washing-machine employing a rotary drum and a receptacle therefor, the combination, with the receptacle having slots in its sides, and the plates G, vertically slotted and formed with dovetailed flanges g g, of the ro tary drum, its shaft, the plates H H, through which said shaft passes, and the spiral springs J secured at one end to the plates H H and at the other to the receptacle, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a washing-machine, the combination, with a suitable receptacle and a rotary drum supported invertically-movable bearings on each side of said receptacle, of the frame N, pivoted at at to the sides of the box and having the hooked ends engaging with said movable bearings, the pivoted lever 0, connected to said frame, the rack Q,with which said lever engages, and spring J, all constructed and arranged substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of May, A. D. 1886.

LEONARD WITTMAN.

\Vitnesses:

J os. B. CONNOLLY, A. A. Moonn. 

